Sherwood Island State Park was chosen for the memorial because on a clear day, the New York City skyline is visible from the point. On Sept. 11, people who gathered there saw smoke rise over the World Trade Center. Then, Sherwood Island served as a staging area for relief efforts to the City.

Surrounded by trees, shrubs, and grasses, a low granite monument reads, "The citizens of Connecticut dedicate this living memorial to the thousands of innocent lives lost on September 11, 2001, and to the families that loved them."

At the dedication on September 5, 2002, the names of 149 people who perished that day were read aloud. They were residents of the State or had close family in the State. Gov. John G. Rowland presided over the interfaith ceremony of music, speech, and prayer. About 400 people came.